Six ways to enjoy Instagram again.

Ahh, Instagram. The bane of our lives. What was once every bloggers’ fave platform, a great way to share content, to get inspired and to find like minded individuals, has been ruined by the algorithm and all that comes with it. Or so I thought. At the start of this year I decided to switch things up. I wanted to stop focusing on the numbers, themes and growth, and instead I wanted to post things that were personal to me.

I’ve done just that, and I can honestly say I’ve fallen in love with the app all over again. I do tend to stick to a bit of a theme, and I’m still involved with Instagram pods (simply because I love the bloggers’ content that I follow in them), but for the most part I’m posting pictures of memories I’ve made and people I love, and it’s made me enjoy using it all over again. Here are six things I’ve changed up in order to make Instagram work for me…

1. Think of your feed as a memory board

This year I’ve been taking more photos of the little things in life, and have really enjoyed sharing them on my feed. While I have had incredible experiences, such as trips abroad to Paris and Majorca, and have been to exciting festivals and events with friends, I’ve made a conscious effort to post about the lovely simpler days out I’ve had, whether it’s going for a run around the park or getting an ice cream on the beach, and have shared a lot more photos with friends and family on the feed too. I think being a blogger, I used to almost over analyse what I posted on the ‘Gram, but now I’m posting pictures that make me happy and document memories, rather than images I feel will bring in the likes. It’s really lovely to use the app as a way to look back over what I’ve been up to over the last few months, instead of as something to hopefully make my blog grow.

2. Post what you want to

Ultimately, it’s like you have to un train your brain from everything the blogosphere has taught you to do. But it’s extremely freeing. I totally get that for those who use Instagram as a source of income, or those who are working full-time in the blogging industry, the whole algorithm can be incredibly frustrating, and with paid advertisements and planned content to upload, it’s not as easy as saying “forget about the numbers and post whatever you want”. But for me, it’s definitely worked and I do feel as though my content is fresher and more exciting than before.

3. Don’t worry about missing days

I think this is probably one of the reasons that my content feels so fresh. I no longer post images for the sake of it, and my feed works so much better as a result. At the end of the day, your following isn’t going to fall off the face of the earth if you miss a day of posting.

4. Forget about numbers

Again, this is an area where you really have to just throw everything you ever knew out of the blogging world out of the window, but not actually giving a monkeys about how quickly your following is growing, or how many likes your pictures are getting, makes you enjoy posting so much more. Post for you, not for your followers.

5. Unfollow accounts that make you feel negative

We all know that Instagram is essentially a showreel, showcasing the positive and happy experiences in people’s lives. I mean, I’m guilty of this myself. I never post images of me, sat in my pyjamas, eating a packet of biscuits on a Saturday night; it’s always snaps of fun events or exciting travels or interesting things. And I’m also completely guilty of comparing myself and my life to some of those that I follow on Instagram. It’s important to remember that these accounts too are just highlights, and if it’s really causing an issue then just unfollow. Ain’t nobody got time for negativity!

6. Get into Instagram Stories

One thing I’ve absolutely loved getting into since the start of the year is Instagram Stories. I’ve waved goodbye to Snapchat and now enjoy giving a little insight into my daily life through my stories. Being honest, for the most part my weekdays are spent in the office by day and in the gym by night; hardly the exciting life that other lifestyle bloggers lead. But I do really enjoy watching people’s stories, interacting with them and getting to know more about the person behind the blog, so I’m hoping the content I share on there works for others too!

This is such a wonderful post! I don't post on my Instagram all that often (maybe once or twice a week), but it is a nice memory board for when I do. These tips are amazing and so great for putting things into perspective.the-creationofbeauty.blogspot.com

This was a great post! Lately my insta feed has been full of posts I just really don't care to see. Definitely time to clean it up a bit and start using it how I want! Thanks for the tips!http://expeditiontoeuphoria.com

I love your Instagram! It's always so colourful and fun! I don't really have a theme as such, I just like to post when I want and what I want. I love particular blogger feeds as they just look amazing – but i definitely don't have the time (or patience!!) to be editing and sticking to a theme. xx

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Hello and welcome to jessie-ann.co.uk, a lifestyle and travel blog written by Jessie-Ann Lewis. I'm a 25 year old journo, currently working as a TV production researcher in Cardiff. I love to travel, take photos, and blog all about it!